Bonnaroo after dark: 2014 Late Night sets announced

EDM megastar Skrillex will perform two Late Night sets at Bonnaroo 2014, one solo set and one as the leader of the "Skrillex and Friends Superjam."

Photo by Mark Davis

Long time Bonnaroo fans know that some of the most fun and memorable sets every year come after the headliner has packed up and left for the evening, in the form of the Bonnaroo Late Night sets. While the actual day by day schedule is still to be announced, the Bonnaroo organizers did spill the beans on April 23 about which acts will be performing Late Night sets at Bonnaroo 2014.

As has been the formula for the past several years, the largest number of Late Night sets went to bands in the electronic music genre. Fans of dubstep megastar Skrillex will get not one but two chances to see him perform as both his solo set and his "Skrillex and Friends" Superjam get Late Night slots.

But Skrillex isn't the only huge electronic name on the Bonnaroo Late Night lineup. He will be joined by several of the fastest rising stars in the genre. UK duo Disclosure just blew up Coachella and will get a chance to do the same for Bonnaroo with a Late Night set. Also performing will be Kaskade and rising stars like Darkside, Zedd, and The Glitch Mob.

Rap, hip-hop, and R&B are traditionally the second most-popular Late Night sets for Bonnaroo and fans of those genres have plenty to choose from with the 2014 Late Night lineup. N.W.A. legend Ice Cube will perform at Late Night set, as will current superstar Frank Ocean. Rounding out the lineup are rising stars Chance the Rapper, Pusha T, and rap/rave hybrid act Die Antwoord.

If you prefer to rock away your Late Night Bonnaroo weekend, you're covered there as well. Rock legends Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds will perform a Late Night set. Other rockers playing after dark include J. Roddy Walston & the Business, Ty Segall, White Denim, and perennial Bonnaroo favorites The Flaming Lips.

One of the most interesting and surprising aspects of this year's Bonnaroo Late Night lineup is the inclusion of all three main stage metal acts. While hard rockers like Alice Cooper have performed Late Night sets before, Bonnaroo has never had a dedicated heavy metal tent for Late Night. With Mastodon, Meshuggah, and Deafheaven all appearing on this year's Late Night lineup, metalheads may get to see Bonnaroo history made.

Another surprise is the lack of jam acts on this year's Late Night lineup. While Bonnaroo has moved away from their origins as a primarily jam-oriented festival, they've usually reserved at least one Late Night slot for a band that fit loosely into the genre. But this year, jam heads hoping to see Late Night sets from Umphrey's McGee, Yonder Mountain String Band, Tedeschi-Trucks Band, or John Butler Trio will have to settle for daytime sets.

Of course, the mysterious "? Superjam" could fall into any or none of these categories. So far, Bonnaroo hasn't given even the slightest hint of what they have up their sleeves for this Late Night set. It remains to be seen if they will announce the makeup of the "? Superjam" before the festival or let fans be surprised by who shows up.

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Chris Griffy is a life long resident of Middle Tennessee and a life long lover of festivals, fairs, and open air markets. He has extensive experience covering Bonnaroo, Americanafest, and other Nashville area festivals.. Contact Chris here, follow him on Twitter and check out his articles at the Music Examiners page on Facebook.